Notices & Instructions (rev. 06/23/2011) Online Help: Please read our detailed notices and instructions before using MPA Remote. This online help is updated periodically and is also available through the Help link, located at the top of each screen of the MPA Remote inquiry tool.

FAQ (rev. 11/30/2010): Please check here for answers to frequently asked questions. These FAQs are updated periodically and are also available through the Help link, located at the top of each screen of the MPA Remote inquiry tool.

Online public access to case records is unavailable every Sunday from 10 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. for regular system maintenance.

Due to an update this weekend, MPA Remote will not be available while the update is occurring. The update will begin at 4:00 pm on Friday, March 6. Please plan on MPA Remote being unavailable for 48 hours (through 5:00 pm Sunday, March 6).

The Minnesota Judicial Branch offers an online inquiry tool for statewide electronic case records and calendars, called MPA Remote, which stands for Minnesota Trial Court Public Access Remote view. MPA Remote is a public-view version of the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS), the computerized case management system used by Minnesota District Courts to track and manage cases and calendars. MPA Remote contains replicated public case data from MNCIS. Upon inquiry, MPA Remote displays case information for public viewing, including register of actions, calendars, judgments, and orders and notices prepared by the court. Internet Explorer is recommended to use this service (up through Internet Explorer 8.0); however, Firefox and Safari should work as well.

Online case inquiries are restricted by the remote access provisions of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch (see Rule 8, subd. 2). For example, street addresses and name searches on criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor pre-conviction case records are not available online, but are available at courthouse public access terminals, as described below under the heading "At the Courthouse." Electronic copies of documents filed by parties in district court also are not accessible online. The federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also prevents us from displaying harassment and domestic abuse case types online, but these are available at the courthouse. Minnesota Rule of Juvenile Delinquency Procedure 30.02, subd. 1, also prevents us from displaying public juvenile delinquency case records online, but these are available at the courthouse. Comment fields for all case types are not available online but are available at the courthouse.

At the Courthouse: Each Minnesota District Courthouse offers electronic access to statewide public case records through public access terminals. Each district courthouse also offers in-person counter access to locally-stored, public case records in paper form.

Courthouse public access terminals provide the most complete access to electronic district court case records, because they are not restricted by the remote access provisions of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch (see Rule 8, subd. 2). For example, street addresses and name searches on criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor pre-conviction case records are available at courthouse public access terminals, but not through the online case inquiry, as described above.

Required Acknowledgement for MPA Remote:

Please read and acknowledge these terms before using MPA Remote to access district court records:

UNOFFICIAL RECORDS. The information available on MPA Remote is provided as a service and is not considered an official court record. The Minnesota Judicial Branch does not certify MPA Remote records or search results and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the data found on MPA Remote. Certified civil judgment search results may be obtained from court administration.

LIMITED CASE RECORD INFORMATION. Case records and calendars are displayed for all Minnesota District (Trial) Courts. The information available on MPA Remote is limited to case search results, registers of action, civil judgments, and court calendars for publicly accessible district court case records, as defined by Rule 4 of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch. Electronic copies of public documents are not available at this time through MPA Remote. Further, a criminal/traffic/petty search excludes all Hennepin County and Ramsey County payable citations except: 1) those that result in a court appearance; and 2) Ramsey DNR payable citations. The excluded payable citations are processed through a separate system called VIBES.

Remote Access Restrictions: For privacy reasons, the information available on MPA Remote is also limited to remotely accessible information under Rule 8, subd. 2 of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch. Under this rule, publicly accessible case records available on the MPA Courthouse service (on court public access computers) are not all remotely accessible through MPA Remote on the internet. For example, party street address and name searches on criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor pre-conviction case records are publicly accessible and available on the MPA Courthouse service, but not on MPA Remote. The federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also prevents us from displaying harassment and domestic abuse case types on the internet, but these are available through the MPA Courthouse service. Minnesota Rule of Juvenile Delinquency Procedure 30.02, subd. 1, also prevents us from displaying public juvenile delinquency case records on the Internet, but these are available through the MPA Courthouse service. Comment fields for all case types also are not available on MPA Remote but are available through the MPA Courthouse service.

You WILL NOT be notified when public data is unavailable for any of these reasons as you are conducting searches in MPA Remote. Please read our Notices & Instructions for more details.

READ Our New LEVEL OF SENTENCE FACT SHEET to Understand How the Level of Sentence is Calculated and Displayed, EFFECTIVE ON SENTENCES ENTERED ON OR AFTER June 1, 2009. Level of Sentence is a new automated feature that calculates and displays the level of sentence on a case based on the sentence imposed by the judge and entered into the case management system. The automation is calculated on the sentence elements and the provisions set forth in M.S. 609.13 and Minn. R. Crim. P. 23.02. For cases sentenced prior to June 1, 2009, the Level of Sentence is not automatically calculated and displayed but should be manually interpreted based on M.S. 609.13 and Minn. R. Crim. P. 23.02 and as further explained in our Level of Sentence Fact Sheet. For sample screen images and a complete discussion of how to read and interpret the Register of Actions and Level of Sentence on a case, see Register of Actions - Level of Sentence (available in the Interpreting Search Results help topic) in MPA Remote Online Help.

MPA SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS. Background checks should be conducted through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) Computerized Criminal History (CCH) system, which you can access online at https://cch.state.mn.us/, at their office located at 1430 Maryland Avenue East in St. Paul, or by calling 651-793-2400 for information. The BCA’s CCH system links prior criminal history through fingerprints to verify the identification of the individual. MPA Remote cannot provide this level of verification.

CAUTION: NAME SEARCHES CAN BE UNRELIABLE. Use caution in evaluating MPA data, as the person for whom you have searched could have the same name, birth date, or other identifiers as another individual. Even if you believe your search has returned the correct match and the information appears to be about the person for whom you have searched, remember that:

two or more people can have the same name and birth date; and

criminal offenders frequently use aliases, including the names of others.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for understanding the meaning of the case record information that you view through MPA Remote and for the appropriate and lawful use of such information. If you have any questions regarding the meaning of case information on MPA Remote, please ask the local court administrator. You are also responsible for determining whether any case record information previously obtained from MPA Remote is still accurate, current, and complete.

PLEASE READ OUR NOTICES & INSTRUCTIONS for more information before using MPA Remote. It is available through the link at the top of this page and at the top of each screen of the MPA Remote inquiry tool.

Please acknowledge that you have read and accept the above terms and limitations, and that you agree to use the MPA Remote website subject to such terms.